Think tank

November 4, 2018

Machining centre and flexible manufacturing system manufacturer, MCM (Machining Center Manufacturing) based in Piacenza, Italy has further developed its Tank series of 4- and 5-axis machining centres with the development of the G series.

These machines offer customers the flexibility of a wide choice of axis travels up to 3,000mm in the X-axis, along with multiple options for pallet size, tool changer, and spindles, as well as a variety of heads including horizontal and tilting-head, with worm-screw or torque motor options.

Represented in the UK & Ireland by RK International Machine Tools, the MCM range is ideal for applications in the aerospace, energy, oil and gas and general engineering environments, with machines capable of operating standalone or integrated into flexible machining systems ranging from 800 x 1,000mm pallet size to 1,250 x 1,600mm. On the MT range of mill/turn models, a rotary pallet capable of 200rpm with a rotation diameter of 3,000mm is available.

The Tank.G machines are at the larger end of the scale, with axis travels of 1,600 x 1,500 x 1,850/2,000mm in X, Y, and Z for the smallest of the machines up to 3,000 x 2,500 x 2,500mm for the largest machines in the series. For machines with such large capacity, agility and accuracy are also major fundamentals. Axis travels up to 50m/minute at accelerations of 3G are achievable, with repeatability down to 3µm on linear axes and 3 arc seconds on rotary axes. The rotary axis table can be used for turning operations as rotational speed can be up to 500rpm, and, depending on specification are capable of carrying up to 5,000kg in weight.

The spindle options with the Tank.G series can deliver maximum spindle speeds from 6,000 to 30,000rpm with 130 kW of power and 1,300Nm or torque, depending on machine model and spindle configuration specified. Further versatility is provided by Tank.G’s toolchange system, which features a modular rack tool movement arrangement that can be configured to hold from 80 tools as standard, up to 999 tools, weighing up to 35 kg, with a tool change time between 2.5 and three seconds, dependant on spindle type.

“Where MCM excels is the ability to offer a mono-pallet, bi-pallet or FMS solutions even when including integrating into an existing onsite pallet system and then having the option to customise the machine to suit both the application and the workshop where the machine is to be located,” comments Simon Rood, director and general manager at RK International Machine Tools.

He continues: “The Tank.G series of horizontal machining centres is the epitome of flexibility and versatility. The choices available to customers allow them to specify a machine to their own unique requirements, while retaining the knowledge that each machine is built to exacting standards of performance and quality.

“For example over 200 hours of scraping is carried out on each machine to ensure high geometric accuracy. Other examples of build quality include the inclined angle created by the X-axis guideways being on different levels which adds greater rigidity to the machine’s column-head assembly. Thermal compensation is controlled automatically through the CNC control unit, which can be either the Siemens 840D SL or Fanuc 30i/31i B5 series of control.”